Ask Me
by Xeen Cyr
Summary: When will Sam Swarek understand that all he has to do is ask?
1. Chapter 1

ROOKIE BLUE (isn't mine)

_**ASK ME**_

_I was quite happy with the way this first season ended, and I understand that my reaction doesn't seem to reflect the general vibe from the RB fandom... So I came up with that ficlet. Post_ "Take Down". _Once again, I can't tell you how much I'm touched by all your great reviews and support!_

-o-

_"__He's trouble but what can you do? When you meet the right one, that's it, you got that feeling, right?"_

Sam Swarek stared at his glass, dangling it a little. The ice cubes clung against the glass and he took a last swig, signalling the bartender for another one. Their last stunt, that was a tad too close to comfort for his own taste. He had been the one calling the shots, being opened about the way he felt about her being a great cop. About being great, period. He chuckled. That was it. That was all he will ever get from her, a fake admission in front of two scumbags. Their partnership had been complicated enough without that undercover mission. When he had kissed her, he was three hundred percent certain he will not make it. He wanted to touch her one last time. And she returned his kiss. Was it fake? Now that he was very much alive and on the verge of being very drunk, he would never know why, unless he asked her, which will never happen in this life or the next.

_Don't be so dramatic, you're an old fool. _Maybe that was the age factor that was actually bothering her. He did not mind their age difference but why not? Women's minds did work in mysterious ways. This reason was as good as any. He knew for a fact that she was attracted to him as much as he was to her. She had been from the start. He could read the signs and when he pushed her away that first night at the Penny, he had hurt her. _I made out with the wrong guys._ He could not erase the memories of their almost kiss in the parking lot or of her body against his that night of the blackout and the way she responded under his touch.

_I thought you were pretty cool._ He knew that she was being honest with him. That's probably exactly what she thought when they met. Undercover cop, a bit of mystery, a dash of danger, the thrill of the bust. _How did that make you feel? Did you like me right away or did it take a while? _He was still waiting for her to answer that one. And she probably never will give him any answer. He pushed her too hard. It was for her own good. You don't walk inside a trap without a fair warning. Or maybe it was just lust. He was used to women watching him from a distance. _The rough solid guy who understands women._

"Penny for your thoughts?" The cheering voice of Oliver Shaw stopped him from sinking to the bottom of his drink. "Aren't you the brooding type tonight…"

"Hey…"

"So," Oliver Shaw leaned heavily on the counter next to Sam, "it was a good day!"

"Yep."

"Now that you got another taste of that undercover business, are you going to grace us with your presence or go back to the drug squad?" asked Shaw. He sat his beer on the bar, trying to decipher his friend's face.

Sam's eyes shot to his glass and he nodded. "Boyd asked me to join his unit. I'm not sure. I've got to talk to Frank, see if he still needs me around for the rookies."

"They aren't technically rookies any more, you realize that, right? Or do you miss babysitting that bunch of idiots already?"

Swarek tensed.

"They're all idiots Sam. Even McNally. But she's got some balls, this one."

Sam grinned. "Yes, she sure has."

"I heard she did great today."

"She had my back," he shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you can say that, man."

"Sammy, you know me, I'm quite the sensitive guy, I wouldn't want to burst this little pink bubble of yours, but what's going on with you and this rookie?"

_What exactly do I have to do? Be his girlfriend? I think I can manage that!_ His mouth twitched and he locked his eyes on Shaw's. "Like you said, she's not a rookie anymore." Pause. "And she's Callaghan's girl."

"Oh, and you say it like you mean it, how dignified of you!"

Sam's head dropped to his chest and he sighed. "I heard that Diaz is going to be alright?"

"Yep, just came back from the hospital. Kid's out of the woods. But that fox, Peck, she was a wreck, man. Couldn't believe she could actually feel something."

Sam chuckled. "Give her a break Ollie. She's under a lot of pressure."

"Really," Oliver smirked, "so who is it gonna be Sam? The blonde or the brunette?"

"You never let go, huh?"

"Oh, oh. Speak of the devil…"

Sam turned his head to his right and watched Andy walking to them. She was still wearing the same outfit, and her face was intense under the charcoal make up. She was beautiful.

"Hi," she said, looking a little self-conscious. "Oliver."

"Hey, Sam just told me you saved his sorry ass today."

She chuckled, her eyes going from one man to the other, pondering what she was going to say next. "I don't know, Sam was pretty great in there. I was so afraid."

Shaw shot a meaningful glance to Sam. "Enough with buttering up ladies, let's get serious. Scotch McNally?"

"Actually, I was on my way home. I just want to have a word with Sam."

"Let's hear it McNally!" Sam waved his hand.

"Alone," she said with that soft voice that sent shivers down Sam's spine.

"Oh, that actually hurts McNally, you know that," Shaw placed a hand on his chest and smiled. "Later, man." He walked away and sat with Andrews. Sam watched him settled down. Andy took a deep breath and he turned back to her, with an interrogating look.

"So, what is it McNally?"

"Sam, please don't interrupt me, because if you do, I'm sure I won't be able to…"

"Go ahead, I promise I won't. It's been a tough day, get it out your chest."

"Sam, you were right. I don't seem to know how to take off my uniform." He smiled. "Because if I do, I'm vulnerable and I don't want to be that woman. I don't want to be afraid when I'm cruising the street, or chasing the bad guys or searching an empty warehouse. And when my shift is over, it's easier to keep it on I guess. For protection, that way things merely rippled on the surface."

"It's okay, Andy. You've only been a cop for eleven months. The important thing is to realize that you don't have to do that. Or it will break you down. You'll push away everyone who wants to be close to you and it'll ruin every relationship you'll ever have. Trust me on that."

She shook her head, Sam's words echoing those of that woman who had lost her child, during a previous case.

"You don't understand. What I'm trying to say it's… Sam, I don't want to be hurt again, that's exactly why I can't let you in."

"Excuse me?" His eyes went wide and he raised his eyebrows at her.

"I think you heard me."

He flinched. "Why Callaghan then? You let him in." His voice sounded bitter even to his ears.

"You really have to ask," she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, looking down at the floor. "I thought you knew."

_I'm not really ready for anything, constantly faking__._

"Don't you love him?"

"We're moving in together. He's buying a house," she said.

His heart skipped a beat. "A house?" He fiddled with his glass. She remained silent. "Did he propose?" he finally said.

"No, oh no, of course not!"

"Andy, I'll ask you again and we'll never talk about this again, okay?"

She nodded obediently, chewing on her lower lip. "Do you love him?"

"I don't know. I like him a lot. We're good together. I don't know." She looked miserable.

"You've been with the guy almost a year and you still don't know? I don't understand. What is it that you want from me?"

"Nothing. I just thought you should know."

"That you don't know if you love him?"

"That we're going to live together."

"I'm not your father McNally, you don't need my permission," he snapped. He turned away from her and gulped his drink. She raised her hand but eventually changed her mind, shaking her head fiercely.

"It was a mistake," her voice faltered. "I should never have come see you." She turned around and left. He let out a deep sigh, threw a bill on the counter and followed her.


	2. Chapter 2

ROOKIE BLUE (isn't mine)

_**ASK ME**_

-o-

Part 2

"Swarek!"

Sam stopped dead in his tracks. Perfect timing, again. Before turning to face the owner of the unnerving voice, he gave a last glance at the now closed back door. She was gone. He sighed and plastered a discreet smile on his face. "Callaghan." The guy did a great job at never being there when Andy needed him, always putting her second on his list, but he definitely could make an entrance. It seems the one thing the detective was really good at on a regular basis except for his policing skills was coming up with different reasons to piss him off. For some unlikely reasons, Callaghan was always in the way.

The detective walked to him briskly. "Have you seen Andy? I can't find her anywhere and she doesn't answer her phone."

Sam nodded, barely hiding the smug on his face. "She was here," he stated matter-of-factly, "but she left."

"Any idea where I can find her?" asked the detective. He shot glances around.

Bad habits die hard, thought Sam. "Well, my guess is that she's probably heading home right now. Wherever home is," he added pointedly.

Callaghan chose to ignore the intended pun and relaxed. "So, everything went well today," he smiled, shoving his hands in his pockets, "against all odds. Would you drink with me Sam? Call it a truce if you will…" His blue eyes were set on Sam and it sounded more like an advice than an invitation.

That was interesting. "A truce? I'm not sure that I know what you mean, but okay, why not, I could use a drink."

Callaghan waved at the bartender and two glasses of scotch materialized before them. "To Andy," he toasted. Sam flinched but raised his glass. "She did a hell of a job today. I'm glad she made it right to Boyd. He's still furious, you know," he grinned. Sam nodded guardingly. "She seems to put herself in the most impossible situations. To blow two cover ops in six months? How is it even possible?" Callaghan sipped on his drink and winced, his eyes still fanning the room.

Sam sighed. Yes, what where the odds? Despite Callaghan bragging about 'his girl' in his immediate vicinity, he indulged himself with a little trip down memory lane. Even on her first day on the job, she was fearless. She didn't doubt for one minute that she could make this arrest all by herself and that probably did the trick. How he tripped on his feet and why he let her catch him was an entire different matter though. He'd been careless. He'd never thought that she'd go after him and his informant, not for one minute. Now that he knew Andy, he also knew that it was a mistake to think she'd let go. She never let go. Rewinding to the last couple of minutes, it made him want to leave the Penny as soon as he could and run after her. "Yeah, what were the odds," he commented plainly, "she seems to be in the wrong place all the time."

"You don't think it's bad luck, do you?"

"Of course not. There's no such thing as bad luck. It's just circumstantial, I guess. Without her, we wouldn't be talking right now." That part was true on so many levels, he thought, suppressing the smug. "She saved my ass."

"I think so too." Callaghan paused, his eyes lingering on his drink. "I'm glad you're okay Sammy," he finally said, locking his eyes on Swarek's. Sam raised an eyebrow. Callaghan was clearly hinting about something but he couldn't see what. "She probably told you already, I bought a house. I asked her to move in with me."

"Yes, she told me. Out of town, right?"

"Yes, that's a twenty minutes drive."

"You do know that McNally doesn't have a car?"

"Should anything have happened to you, my guess is she wouldn't have needed one, anyway."

"I'm not sure I'm…"

"As a matter of fact, even now, with you standing in front of me, safe and sound, I doubt she'll need one."

"Sorry, you lost me. I've been here for the best part of the last hour and…"

"Don't play dumb with me Swarek. We both know that Andy hasn't made up her mind yet. Or it'll be much easier right now. For me."

"You mean that's she's not moving in with you?"

"Did she tell you anything?"

"Nope. Nothing relevant actually. Callaghan, she was pretty shaken after what happened tonight. Cut her some slack. She'll come to her senses eventually. Give her time."

The detective slapped his hand on the counter and winced. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Sam shook his head and smiled.

"You don't see it, do you?"

"See what? Callaghan, if it's your notion of a truce, I'd rather go back to the basics and simply ignore you."

"Can't you see that it's eating at her! I'm not blind Swarek, I can see the way she looks at you."

"And I'm responsible how?"

"Yeah, I forgot, you don't take responsibility for anything."

"Callaghan, I did my best to stay out of your way. If you can't keep your girlfriend, it's not my problem."

"Don't be difficult. I simply played along because I thought that you were aiming for the top of the food chain. She blew you off?"

"Sorry?"

"Yes, Peck. I saw you with her, I can do the math. I'm a detective, it's not exactly rocket science."

Sam flinched at the sarcastic comment and its obvious implications. If Gail was at the top of the food chain where did he put Andy? "So it is how it works for you?" he managed to say without losing his temper. "What do you want Callaghan?"

"I don't want anything Sam. Andy's moving in with me, and I don't know why. I think she's making a mistake. I mean she's too proud to admit it but it's not what she wants."

"And what would it be?"

"Swarek, you're an idiot." Callaghan gulped his drink and left.

Sam watched him leave. Andy and now Callaghan. Maybe it was time to stop being the smitten dumb guy. He placed a twenty under his glass and hurried outside.


	3. Chapter 3

ROOKIE BLUE (isn't mine)

_**ASK ME**_

-o-

Part 3

Sam Swarek stopped his truck in front of his house and sighed. Now was the part that he couldn't afford to screw up. "Okay, we're here," he said in a very low tone, his voice passionless, "You can show yourself, I know you're back there." He heard muffled noises coming from the back seat and managed to hide a smile. He watched her emerged from behind.

"You knew that I was in your truck all along?" Andy yelped. She sat up and her eyes met his in the rear-view mirror. She glanced outside. "And yet you went to your place?" she snapped.

"Well, technically, I wasn't supposed to know that you were in my truck, so I figured I could as well go home. Why are you in my truck?"

She ran her fingers through her hair. "I picked your lock."

"I gathered that much. Please Andy, humour me."

"I couldn't find another place to go," she blurted; avoiding his gaze, she sat back and hid in the shadows.

"Excuse me?"

"I… I panicked."

"You did? Last time we spoke, you were very much in control. You seemed angry though. Angry at me." He didn't turn around and simply leaned on the door, one hand on the wheel and the other casually placed on his thigh.

"Maybe a little," she said. She wiggled in her seat.

"So? Why are you here? I'm listening."

"When I left the Penny, I was upset, I shouldn't have been rough on you. I'm the one to blame. Whatever," she sighed. "Then I saw Luke. He was coming right at me on the parking lot but he was lost in his thoughts. He didn't see me... I think. And I don't know, I panicked."

"I had no idea that you were into that kind of relationship with your boyfriend. That's good to know."

"Don't you dare make fun of me."

"I don't. I'm just stating the obvious. When you see Callaghan, aren't you supposed to run to him not from him? Didn't you read the instructions before you signed up for this thing you've got going?"

"Ahh, funny, you're a funny man Swarek, you know that. I guess that Monica wouldn't run from you."

"No she wouldn't, but, hey, we're not a couple, so how would I know?"

She hissed in frustration. Deciding to ignore his last comment, she continued. "If you must know, after we talked at the Penny, I was too conflicted to be with him, to be with anyone for that matter."

"So picked my lock? Is it the best you can do? What if I was planning to, say, entertain someone tonight?"

"Obviously, you're not."

"Yeah, I guess you don't count," he teased her.

She held his gaze in the mirror. "You think I led you on, huh?" she finally asked.

"Whatever I think is irrelevant here. You're with Callaghan."

"At least he had the courage to ask me!"

"Like I didn't?"

"No you didn't!"

"I did and you blew me off. Okay let me rephrase this. When Mr Homicide musters the courage to ask you for a drink, you actually end up in his bed. Is that right?"

She just hung her head and didn't answer.

"I take that as a yes. But a guy in a uniform must turn you on, because after serving me with your I don't date cops bullshit, you… assaulted me."

She flashed him a black stare in the mirror. "You're never going to let that slide are you?"

"Why would I? Be honest for one minute. You're in a relationship with Callaghan and yet you came on to me. And at the Penny you admitted that you don't love him."

"I never said that!"

"Yes you did. And then, there's what you did tonight Andy and that was a lot more than any partner would have asked of you. And yet you did it."

"Don't try and change the subject."

"I don't. Like I said, just stating the obvious. The real question is do you even know what is it you want Andy? You're the one who doesn't seem to know."

"You know what? You suck."

"Good to know. Is that all?"

"This is exactly why we'd never work out, because you're so arrogant, so self-centred and egotistic that you… you…"

"Are you finished?"

"You know what? Screw you!" she yelled.

Sam studied her in the mirror. He didn't move, he didn't say anything. Her breathing was loud and ragged. "I'll take you home," he said, starting the engine. "You're right, this is a mistake."

"Wait," she said. She jumped from her seat and grabbed his arm. He didn't resist and sagged against the back of his seat while she clung onto him. He looked up at her, standing over him and slowly moved his hand to her hair. She tensed with a shiver as his cool palm cupped her cheek. His thumb gently stroked her lips and she moaned. He turned around to face her and kneeled on his seat, his arms on the headrests. She hung on to his jacket.

He slowly lowered, bending himself to kiss her but she was not in the mood for a slow approach. She clawed the front of his sweater roughly and pulled him to her. He fell onto her and kissed her deeply, drawing her closer. "Move over," he whispered, climbing over to the back seat. His mouth covered hers immediately. He pinned her to the window, and she arched onto him. Their tongues reached for each over in aching desperation. She groaned, and sliding against the cool surface, she laid herself down. His hand worked fast on her blouse and he reached for her breast. She unbuckled his belt. She finally gasped for air and whispered, "Sam, now… please."


	4. Chapter 4

ROOKIE BLUE (isn't mine)

_**ASK ME**_

I can't apologize enough! I know it took me like forever to update, i'm sorry! thanks all for the great feedback and reviews and everything :)

-o-

Part 4

"You what?" Traci stopped fastening her shoes and stared at her friend in disbelief.

"I asked him to take me back to my place." Andy's voice was barely audible. She shook her head and slouched on the bench, fidgeting with her bag. "I didn't plan anything really. It just happened."

"Andy, you're joking right? Things happen for a reason."

"I didn't want to argue with Luke, and I hid in Sam's truck when I saw him."

"Andy, you got to stop doing things like that. What is it anyway? Some kind of spur-of-the-moment move? I don't buy it."

"It's not like that."

"Of course it is. You have to take responsibility for your actions or you're going to hurt people."

"I know," Andy sighed. She stared at her feet. "But really, it just happened!"

"Something wrong happens or just something, and you come running to Swarek, that's it? What does it say about you and Luke?"

"We're good… I guess."

"I hate to break it to you, but no, you're not! Listen, after all those miserable months pining for you TO, you finally managed to do the nasty, - in his beloved truck no less, and then you ask him for a ride back to your place?"

"Yeah, I think you nail it perfectly," Andy spat.

"Actually, I think he did," Traci grinned.

Andy couldn't help the smile on her face. "Can we move on please? That's all I could think of at the time," she protested defensively.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard this week. Think, is it what you call it? Then stop thinking for Christ's sake! What is it that you want from him? You can't play with his feelings like that, because he does have feelings. I've seen the way he looks at you. I know that I'm going to regret that Andy, but Sam's a great guy, you shouldn't push him away."

"And so is Luke," Andy said stubbornly, standing up and shoving her civilian clothes into her locker. She slammed the door. "I'm moving in with Luke, there's nothing to think about. I've made up my mind. I got Sam out of my system. My life is simple."

"Yeah, I hear you." Traci turned her back to her, folding her clothes and placing them neatly inside her gym bag.

Andy's eyes went wide. "Wait, why are you mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be? No you're right, it makes perfect sense. You're willing to sacrifice your happiness because Sam doesn't fit your Prince Charming fantasies? It seems, I don't know… unfair."

"Unfair?"

"Yes, and it's unfair to both of them, lady. Listen, you're sleeping around, that means that you didn't choose anything."

"It was a one time thing!"

"How can you lie to yourself? What do you want? Get him out of your system, I get it, you had sex…"

"Great sex."

"… you don't have to marry the guy. Of course you had a good time but what about Luke? In my opinion, you're simply going with the flow."

Andy simply shrugged. "So what? He'll never know!"

"Really? Isn't he a detective or something? If that's your notion of a relationship… Wait, you're going to push Sam away, aren't you?"

"Trace, I have no idea."

"I think that you know exactly what you're doing with your Jules and Jim routine. Andy, you're not 15, you know that you can't do that, having your detective for show and a lover on the side, you've got to choose!"

"I know." Andy bit her lip and hang her head. "I didn't tell you everything…"

"Luke found out?"

"It's complicated."

"Well it's not parade yet, humour me."

"Okay." She hesitated for one second, took a deep breath. "Sam, he took me back to my place. That was weird. I couldn't get my eyes of him and he wouldn't look at me."

"Go figure!"

"You want to hear the rest or what? When he pulled over, I tried to say something but…"

_There was nothing she could say right this moment. Her throat was dry and her thoughts in overdrive. _

_"Don't think this is going any further, because it's not. Good night__." The words she blurted sounded alien to her ears, like she was having an out-of-body experience._

_She left the truck without looking __back and jogged to her apartment building. The door slowly clicked behind her. Fighting unwanted tears of anger that stung her eyes, she kept on running upstairs. She was so tensed that it took her forever to finally unlock her own door. She flipped the lights on as she went, discarding her bag and coat on the way. Once in the bathroom, she bent over the sink, avoiding her reflection._

_She didn't have to think twice to know that she had a thing for Sam. A thing? She had a bitter laugh. She was head over heels in love with the guy. She knew it, he probably knew it. What was she doing, stealing those moments…__ in a car? She was moving in with Luke because she was not in love with him, how stupid was that? _

_She stared in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed, her mouth full. She ran her thumbs under her eyes to clean the smeared make up and __only succeeded in making a mess. How could she be that thick really? Sam was not playing hard to get. He made it pretty clear that he wanted her and more. Something else was obvious; she had to have "the" talk with Luke. She couldn't move in with him, not now and probably not ever. She'll end up being miserable and he'll end up being rude, and he'll have every reason to be. She closed her eyes and immediately felt Sam's hands roaming on her body, his lips pressed on hers, his tongue inside her mouth. She could almost feel his breath on her face. She moaned and opened her eyes, realizing she was about to come. You're so screwed, she thought, leaving the bathroom._

_She had to eat something. __Maybe, it'll make tonight bearable. Or it was the first step of losing it? Eventually, she'll turn into an oversized bitter spinster and she'll have to work behind a desk for the rest of her life. She'll get a cat or two, she'll knit a cover for her couch and for the remote, she'll…_

_The pounding on the door made her stop ranting momentarily. Not the clingy neighbour again, not tonight! In two strides, she was at the door. She opened it without even bothering to ask and stepped back. Sam barged in. He tackled her in a hug, pulling her body against his. His mouth immediately reached for her neck and trailed to her lips. She could feel his hands everywhere at the same time, running down her back, feeling her breasts, flushing her body against his. He lifted her leg and she willingly wrapped it around his waist, her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him to her. She dry humped him, moving her hips slowly. His moans echoed hers. Their eyes locked and he swept her off her feet to the bedroom._

"Hey! Stop right there! I don't want to hear the details!"

"Sorry, I got carried away."

Traci chuckled. "Ya think?"

"You want to know the rest?"

"No nookie, right?"

"Promise."

"Okay.

"When, you know, after we…"

Traci nodded.

_"__You can't just treat me like a sexual object, you know," he smiled, nuzzling her nose, "I'm beginning to wonder about your intentions." His hand cupped her breast and he leaned in to nibbling her nipple before his tongue trailed south. _

"Andy?" Traci protested.

"Oops, sorry, my bad. Well, you can see the picture. Anyway. Trace that was…" she looked around and lowered her voice, "… the best sex I've ever had. And he's…"

"Shhsshhh… don't put any more graphic images inside my head, I've got to work today!"

"I don't know if I can, I'm so totally sore, like everywhere," she grinned. "I had no idea I could have a dozen orgasms a night."

"What did I just say? No sex talk. Enough. You're not in college any more. You're a grown up woman, and a very lucky one," she grinned back, nudging her outside to the bullpen. "So he spent the night? Where was Luke?"

"How would I know?"

"Obviously… We're going to be so late, come on, and make up your mind Andy, like today, okay?" she added.

Dove and Chris hurriedly moved away from the locker room door.

"What are you doing?" Traci asked. "You weren't spying on us, right? Whatever you heard, you're not saying a word, is that clear?"

"Crystal, whatever we didn't hear, it's in the vault!" Dov said, raising his hand. He turned to Chris. "You owe me 50 bucks," he said matter-of-factly.

"You bet on my…" Andy yelped, before lowering her voice to a mere whisper, "… my love life?"

Dov beamed. "Oh, you didn't, you miserable…"

Gail stopped before their group. "I take it that you put an end to that little personal drama you had got going on, -finally?" she told Andy. "About time." She turned around, walking away. "Care to join me for parade?"


End file.
